In an interview with John Sadler in The Sun, Clough said: 'He is now a solid and reliable manager, as he’s proved in two years at Forest.
'And if Leeds are to be saved from relegation this season I believe he is equipped to pull it off.
'Why? Well, firstly, because he’s done it once. At Forest.
'He inherited there what awaits at Leeds, a club that has been raped by the incompetence of the directors.
'Forest were skint. They were forced to sell their best players and he had to make do with what was left. And he’s done it brilliantly. Not least because, apart from having a talent for the job, he’s a thoroughly nice and likeable bloke.
'Harty’s so amiable you couldn’t dislike him if he ran off with your missus. I’d trust him with my daughter.
'One thing’s for sure. If Paul Hart goes to Leeds he’ll last longer than I did as manager there.
'He’ll survive beyond 44 days, whatever happens.
'I inherited what had been one of the best teams in Europe and knew it needed breaking up. I tried to do it too quickly.
'The new manager will find himself with a team that might not even be the best in Leeds at the moment, but in Hart’s case he will believe he can turn things round and keep them in the Premiership.
'But to have had the best chance of succeeding, he should have been appointed and hard at work already'.